Crystal Police Officers Recognized with ‘Lifesaving Awards’
This week in Crystal, well-deserved recognition for a number of Crystal police officers who helped save lives in 2023.
Crystal Police Chief Stephanie Revering honored eight officers with the department’s “Lifesaving Award” during Tuesday’s Crystal City Council meeting. The award is presented to department personnel who save a human life in imminent danger of death through the application of medical efforts.
“Most of their work goes largely unrecognized,” Revering said to the council. “And we all understand that this is part of our job. However, there are times when the actions of officers far surpass our normal motto of service with compassion, integrity and professionalism.”
Lifesaving stories
Below is a complete list of the officers from the Crystal Police Department who received the Lifesaving Award, along with brief descriptions of their efforts:
Officer Lauren Roll:
On April 13, 2023, officers were dispatched to an apartment building for a call of a four-month-old baby that was found floating in a bathtub. The mother had stepped out of the bathroom for two minutes while the child was with another toddler. Officer Roll arrived and found the baby limp, pale, not crying, and staring straight ahead. Officer Roll assessed the baby and found the baby was not breathing adequately. She immediately provided back blows to the baby for approximately two minutes, eventually causing the baby to begin coughing and crying, and was subsequently transported to the hospital by ambulance. Officer Roll’s actions were instrumental in saving the life of the baby who made a full recovery.
Officer Lauren Roll of the Crystal Police Department helped save lives on three separate occasions in 2023.
Officers Mike Callan, Zach Fecteau, Lauren Roll:
On May 5, 2023, officers were dispatched to an overdose at a residence. Officers Callan, Fecteau, and Roll arrived and located a 27-year old male unresponsive, sweaty, gasping for air, and not responsive to pain. The caller reported he had observed the male smoking something out of a glass pipe and then snorting something. Officers administered two doses of Narcan, inserted an oral airway, and provided rescue breathing and oxygen to the male. After about seven minutes of emergency care and the second dose of Narcan, the male started to breathe on his own and woke up. He was transported to the hospital for evaluation and stabilization.
Sergeant Jon Kurtz, Officers Lauren Roll, Jon Beck, Community Service Officer (CSO) Fran Deblieck:
On Sept. 3, 2023, officers were dispatched to a report of an elderly male who was unconscious in a bathroom at a residence. Sergeant Kurtz, officers Roll and Beck, and CSO Deblieck arrived, forced open the bathroom door, and found the male unconscious, purple in color, not breathing and without a pulse. Officers carried the male into the living room and began performing CPR and rescue breathing and hooked up an AED. After several minutes of high-quality CPR and five shocks from the AED, the patient regained full color, began breathing on his own, and regained a pulse. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital where his family was able to join him.
Officers Josh Butterfield, Marcus Issa, Jon Beck:
On June 11, 2023, dispatch received a call of two elderly individuals who were unconscious and possibly suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a residence in New Hope. New Hope officers were not available and officers Butterfield, Issa, and Beck responded to the call. Officers arrived and made entry into the house and immediately identified that there was clearly a toxic level of carbon monoxide gas coming from a van that had been left running in the closed attached garage and two elderly adults in grave medical condition. Officers Issa and Beck located the male unconscious and pale with labored, agonal breathing and carried the male patient out of the house to the front yard where officer Beck began life saving measures by providing oxygen. Officers Issa and Beck went back into the residence and located the female unconscious, pale, and barely breathing with foam coming from her mouth and caring her from the residence. Officers began lifesaving measures on the female by inserting an oral airway and providing oxygen. Both parties were transported to the hospital by ambulance and made a full recovery because of the quick, selfless actions of these officers.
Chief Stephanie Revering congratulates Officer Lauren Roll, Mike Callan and Zach Fecteau during Tuesday’s council meeting.
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